Balance Bikes - Worth it?

naked_ollie

Just to echo the advocacy of others - we started our son on a cheap Hudora Joey clone when he was two, and although it was too big I managed to reverse engineer it a bit to get him going.

Fast forward a couple of years and its incredible how proficient he is and also how the market has grown in balance bikes. At the time we got his there was only really Hudora and LikeaBike, but now there are loads of options in all kinds of materials - proof if any were needed what a great concept these bikes are.

My lad is now four and loving his recent upgrade to a FirstBIKE Street. We regularly knock off 2-3 mile rides together. I can't think of a better way to get your kids interested in riding.

juggling mum

I can see the point in balance bikes as a piece of kit which kids have a lot of fun on, but don't think they make any difference to when a child learns to ride a bike later on versus stabilisers.

Both of ours learnt to ride using stabilisers and both had had the stabilisers removed well before their 4th birthday. We did always have the stabilisers slightly raised and raise them further as they got more stable.

My older one rode to local cafe on her 5th birthday - 3.5 miles each way on quiet roads and pavements. She is now 8 and completed a 50 mile ride in September.

Picking my daughter up from school this summer there were several children in my sons then preschool year riding to school without stabilisers, so all aged 4 - I doubt their parents have heard of balance bikes.

Both children really enjoy cycling and love their isla bikes.

baudman

http://www.yehudamoon.com

ex-pat scot

Just bought a strider bike for my daughter - for Christmas. She'll be 2.5 yo by then.

The other 3 used a small raleigh with stabilisers and loved it, although they struggled a little with the transition to 2 wheels and the balance adjustment required.

I wish I'd bought one earlier for the other children - who all love cycling, thankfully - but I was a bit loathe to spend a large amount on one. (thank eBay for the new strider!)

Richard Ballantyne advocates the strider bike approach, and his word is gospel.

baudman

My favourite video on YouTube to explain runbikes has been removed. So I made my own. Not as professional, but hopefully still tells the story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKC0jwCuvnk

Tom Butcher

I had a balance bike for ours and they never took to it - they much preferred their Decathlon bikes with stabilisers. The girl had the stabilisers off not long after her third birthday so I don't think it held her back - her brother took until he was four. The good thing about the Decathlon bikes is the stabilisers are hand fit so you can whip them off easily to give them a go without to see if they are ready.

Nothing against balance bikes but I think buy whatever your child will use and enjoy at the time rather than looking for the best way of progressing them to riding bikes - kids can learn to ride a bike whether they've ridden with stabilisers, with balance bikes or not had a bike at all.

I do agree that if you are introducing a kid to riding a bike who is old enough to ride without stabilisers but who is struggling with confidence removing the pedals is a good technique.

baudman

Tom Butcher wrote:

Nothing against balance bikes but I think buy whatever your child will use and enjoy at the time ...

Agree. Thing1 has a friend who is (almost neurotically) cautious. She had a RunBike after seeing Thing1 on hers, but didn't take to it. They now have a kid's bike for her, with stabilisers. They thought I'd look down upon them for putting her on it. But in her case, I reckon it's great. She is every so slightly, inch by tiny inch, pushing her comfort zone. (She still crawls backwards down steps - they're seeing a counsellor). And she is SO proud, and she and Thing1 can ride together. I reckon it's great.

Better that she is riding SOMETHING, than riding nothing.

One-i-

Balance Bikes are great in principle although there will be some children who just don't take to them.

My son has the Walk Me Motorbike by Im Toy and at 3 years old he is not that interested. He is so fast on his scooter at the moment he doesn't seem to want to take that backward step of learning to build up speed again!

I say let him call the shots.

Bikemum123

I have a son aged 3 and he has had a balance bike for the last 2 months. He loves it!

I can not keep him off the thing! Makes family outings loads easier as well (as long as I remenber to put the bike in the car!!) as he just rides everywhere. Also, if he does get bored, it doesn't weigh a ton like some bikes and I can easily manage carrying it, whilst carry bags, etc.

I've also noticed a huge difference in his confiedence! Could sometimes be a bit of a mummy's boy and not join in with other children. Now he's on his bike, he joins in with all the other children and is very proud of his toy. Also, his development has increased loads. It took him 3 days to master his balance bike, and now his coordination skills are brilliant. I have no doubt he will cross over on to a childrens bike with pedals, without needing stabilisers!!!!!
I bought my son a Troy Corser replica, Kiddimoto bike. His dad is an diehard Motorbike fan, so now my son can follow in daddy's footsteps. Also, they are a lot cooler than other bikes I've seen. May seem pricey, but the quality is second to none.!!!! I'd definately recommend a Balance bike.

jmacek07

We got our son a Strider and he loved it. He's only two and a half but now he's capable of riding a pedal bike without training wheels. How A Strider Taught My Toddler To Ride

ince

jmacek07 wrote:

We got our son a Strider and he loved it. He's only two and a half but now he's capable of riding a pedal bike without training wheels.

I posted on this thread about this time last year, we have since bough my son the next Isla bike in the range. He has been on his pedal bike again with out the need of stabilizers for the past tw months. He will be three at the end of Sept.

We now have a second son and the little balance bike is there ready and waiting for him.

baudman

Second daughter is too small for the balance bike (18m tomorrow) so I've flipped the frame upside-down and put some chrome scooter wheels on it as a 'toddle' bike.

First daugther (3.5y) still uses her RunBike (yup, we got a second one) to commute most days, and rides her pedal bike with Daddy (never had stabilizers) when time allows.

petemadoc

My wife and I run a kids online store and both our kids had early rider balance bikes which we sell and both now have isla bikes which are only available direct from Isla

We posted a 2 year review on our blog which you can read here

http://www.ethicalshoppingforbabies.co. ... xperience/

Our eldest Harriet took to her Isla bike no problem. It came with advice on teaching your child to ride which basically said either get them a balance bike first or take the pedals off while they learn to balance.

A balance bike is great for your children and there is no pressure on them, they just have fun. There's a few good aluminium ones on the market but I think Early Rider and Like a bike are the best, I wouldn't but the cheapy ones, I've seen them and they're cr*p.

baudman

PeteMadoc wrote:

... I wouldn't but the cheapy ones, I've seen them and they're cr*p.

YMMV.

2 yrs old, with 18m of daily use (in often harsh conditions). Beech with plastic wheels and standard 12" inflatable tyres. Was the cheapest on the market in Aust. at the time $59, as opposed to $120-140. Like-a-bikes are over $200 here.



And here it is, now converted to the aforementioned 'ToddleBike'. (Big sis got another from the same source - as it's pink). :roll:



EarlyRider certainly LOOK the goods however. Thing1 had a look at one on Saturday at AusBike expo.